SIC: ‘TV has a mandatory role in aggregating and engaging audiences’

In talks with Prensario, Cristina Vaz Tomé, Chief Revenue Officer and member of the executive committee at Grupo Impresa, considers: ‘Our values along with the strategy we’ve followed, and draw for the next three years, allow us to state that we are the Portuguese media company that is most prepared, professionally to face the future. Over the next year, we want to reinforce this leadership of both SIC channels and newspaper Expresso and boost commercial income in different areas’.

SIC has appointed a new head of content, with an extensive and remarkable career in entertainment at the network, who has a great knowledge of the market. ‘He has implemented a new content strategy, innovating with new formats, diversifying local shows and drama production impacting our performance successfully. We have also teamed up with the best entertainment professionals in Portugal and strengthened relationships with our celebrities’, describes Vaz Tomé.

She continues: ‘We’re investing in scripts with glocal appeal and high production budgets for our daily drama, focused on global themes such as love, strength and honor. The importance of values balances with the needs of a sustainable society and the protection of our planet. Nazaré and Wild Land are now the leading prime time dramas in Portugal, and we look forward taking them to new territories, breaching out to a wider audience’.

‘Also, on our news channels and news programs we produce documentaries and news series that are recognized and that have been internationally awarded. We also invest in weekend entertainment formats and having the best professionals both behind and on the screen, those who have the closest connection with our public based on their talent and added value’.

‘Whenever there’s relevant content people will want to watch and follow it in linear consumption as well as any other platforms. TV has a mandatory role in aggregating and engaging audiences and in social relevance, this won’t disappear. We’re looking into the e-Sports ecosystem and preparing the launch of our own OTT platform. We need to complement and diversify what we do now, keeping the quality and relevance of our content, towards a total video offering’.

Vaz Tomé says that although a small country, Portugal ‘has great locations and variety of natural landscapes’ that provide wonderful sceneries: ‘With experienced professionals and technical quality, we manage to balance competitive production values with captivating stories to exceed viewers expectations. The best of all is that our titles count for the European quota. SIC is the ratings leader, with an offer of disruptive and fresh content in a 24h broadcast on seven different TV channels’, she completes.

Nazaré is on of the leading prime time dramas in Portugal, exhibited at Virtual Screenings 2020

For the future, the executive emphasizes: ‘Internationalization is a key pillar for our company’s strategy in the next 3 years. In a world that tends to become a global community, SIC has taken the first steps into crossing borders, delivering our content and channels, both traditional and new media partners. Linear or on demand: we’re investing in e-Sports and an OTT platform with original content, allowing it to travel into multi-platforms and multi-territories. I would like to highlight the premiere of Frozen Memories in Mexico last February and in near future viewers will be able to watch Lucky Break in Russia and Living Passion in Georgia’, concludes Vaz Tome.